Mikhail Samarsky

Biography

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mikhail Samarsky wrote his first book when he was 13 years old, and by age 17 he had published four books, amassing sales in excess of 300,000 copies. He was born in Russia and raised in an artistic family. In fact, his father is a successful playwright, and his mother is the author of popular detective novels. Mikhail graduated from high school in 2013 and received admission to the Moscow University School of Global Processes.
Mikhail founded the "Living Hearts" charitable fund at age 15 for the benefit of blind children. Thanks to his perseverance--and a dogged dedication to his mission--he was able to meet the President of Russia and persuade him to make some legislative changes for the sake of the vision-impaired. This effort, like everything else Mikhail does, helped establish him as a young crusader for humanistic causes. Today his observations of daily life constitute one of the country's most widely read blogs.
A Rainbow for a Friend, Mikhail's first book, has been translated into various languages, most recently English. The book follows the adventures of a Labrador retriever called Trisong as he cares for his fosterling . . . while occasionally fending for himself. More importantly, it is written from the dog's perspective. Through Trisong's eyes we see the folly, bravery, humor and pathos of human existence, always with the refreshing lack of bias that only a canine can possess. For his part, Trisong is by turns tender, wisecracking, resourceful, diplomatic and courageous. He's as heroic as any dog of history or fiction, but he's too busy in his capacity as a guide dog to gloat about all that. Trisong simply believes any dog should strive to be useful. As for cats, he isn't quite sure such a thing is possible!
A Rainbow for a Friend is an engaging read for anyone who has ever wondered what any animal could possibly find so lovable about people. After all, even a specialized guide dog such as Trisong, while devoting himself to the needs of a blind child, must negotiate a world in which his methods and motives are rarely understood. Thus he reminds us that people aren't the only citizens of the world. He proposes a new sensibility--a twenty-first century ethos--in which animals might be accorded some acknowledgment of their own citizenship.
Ultimately, A Rainbow for a Friend teaches an essential lesson about the need for kindness and acceptance. Aren't those the qualities our world needs most?
Twitter: @MishaSamarsky
Website: www.mishasamarsky.ru

A teenage author has conquered the literary frontiers of Russia, and now he's coming to America. Mikhail Samarsky's hot-selling book, “A Rainbow for a Friend,” explores the wilds of a great city--and beyond--from a unique perspective. In this story the hero isn't a soldier, but he's brave and steady.The hero, you see, isn't human. He's Trisong, a guide dog for the blind.